The present invention concerns a distribution device able to be integrated in a volumetric measurer. It also concerns said measurer.
This distribution device is intended to alternately establish a communication channel between the storage tank and the cylinder of the volumetric measurer, and a communication channel between the cylinder and the outlet of the measurer. Said device is intended to be mounted at the end of the cylinder inside which a piston circulates.
As regards their current shape, distribution devices comprise a body in which a distribution key is mounted rotating, said key having an axial opening and radial internal passages via which it cooperates with the openings of the body so as to establish said communication channels.
In this conventional architecture, the outlet of the measurer at the end of a filling nozzle is inevitably offset by a distance from the communication opening of the body where the measurer carries out sealed closing between consecutive filling phases.
When pure liquids are being treated, this configuration does not bring about any problem as it merely suffices to equip the outlet of a joining piece with an adequate grille for preventing any ill-timed flow between the filling phases.
The situation is not the same with liquids loaded with particles or pieces since the use of a grille becomes impossible and there is no simple alternative. In practice, in this case it is impossible to avoid uncontrolled falls of the product which affect accuracy of the measuring and which also are sources of smears for boxes or packaging jars, as well as for the machine.
The invention is the result of a search to resolve this problem and consists of a new distribution device architecture for providing a simple and effective solution furthermore making it possible to install a cleaning system, also simple and effective compared to existing devices.
This distribution device of the invention includes a body in which a distribution key with a vertical axis is rotatably mounted. It is characterised in that said body comprises a truncated seat open at its base and top and having a side opening. The seat is intended to receive the distribution key, whose truncated portion is open at its base and has a radial opening, and is also open at its top in an axial extension tail coming out of the body towards the bottom and open at its distal extremity.
When this distribution device is installed in a measurer, the axial extension tail of the distribution key shall be arranged so as to constitute the opening towards the outlet of the measurer which could thus be located at the extremity of a joining piece or nozzle placed in line with said extension tail, that is centred on the rotation axis of the distribution key so as to allow to mount at the proper location of the outlet a shutter whose operational movements shall be linked to those of the distribution key.
Secondly, a simple translation movement of the distribution key in the body shall make it possible to sufficiently move away from each other all of the internal surfaces functionally in contact of the various elements of the distribution key, especially the distribution key and the faucet, so as to organise effective washing flows.